University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Two Alaska Native students are getting in touch with their heritage by serving as interns at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's Sequoyah National Research Center. The goal of the Native American Student Internship Program is to provide students an experiential learning environment in which to acquire an understanding of the value of archives and the research potential of the collections of the center and to engage in academic research and practical archival activities related to tribal culture, society, and issues. The interns work 25 hours a week from June 4 to July 27 and receive on-campus housing and a $2,000 stipend. Recent UA Little Rock graduate Heidi Davis and senior Stephanie Rabaduex, who are continuing internships from last summer, spend their internships archiving an important part of their Native Alaskan heritage. They are both Alaska Natives who are members of the Haida and Tlingit tribes. In 2014, the center acquired the Jeanie Greene Heartbeat Alaska Film Collection, which included 1,263 videos. Thanks to a $24,000 grant from the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council, Rabaduex and Davis now decipher the videos, cataloging names, dates, places, and issues for the center's archives. While growing up in the small village of Kake, Alaska, Davis, 29, fondly recalls tuning into "Heartbeat Alaska" as a child to watch the show's host, Jeanie Greene, broadcast heartfelt stories of Alaska. "I would have been happy to do anything interning here, but the Jeanie Greene productions were special," Davis said. "I grew up watching her shows in Alaska. Jeanie Greene actually babysat my dad, so my dad can tell me stories about her, but she is like a celebrity to me since I never met her." Davis, who graduated in May with bachelor's degrees in criminal justice and political science, will attend William H. Bowen School of Law in the fall. One day Davis would like to return to Alaska to represent Alaska Natives in the court system. Davis worked for the Alaska Court System before she and her husband moved with their two small children to North Little Rock, following her husband's return from the Coast Guard. While she enjoys living in the Natural State, working on the Jeanie Greene collection gives Davis a little piece of home. "It was pretty hard to adjust the first couple of years I was here and then I found Sequoyah and they kept reaching out to me," Davis said. "I'm all the way in Little Rock working on a project that is close to my heart, so it's amazing. I have family members on these videos who have passed away, so anytime I am watching and come across a family member, it is really exciting. It definitely gives me a new perspective because I grew up in southeast Alaska, but my kids will not grow up there, so it's important for me to keep informing them on who they are." On the other hand, Rabaduex, who will graduate this summer with a Bachelor of Art in English with an emphasis in creative writing, grew up in Ward, Arkansas. Her mother was adopted from Alaska and grew up in San Diego, so Rabaduex sees the Jeanie Greene project as a way to learn more about her heritage. "I didn't know anything about my heritage. I have never even been to Alaska," Rabaduex said. "Having the opportunity to see the videos, I've learned so much, so it's important for everybody who wants to learn about the cultures of the Alaska Natives to have access to the videos." Rabaduex, who also works at Baptist Health, learned about Sequoyah National Research Center when she took a tour during a mythology class. At first, she didn't know the center also did research on Alaska Natives. "Erin Fehr (archivist) mentioned all these scholarships and the summer internships, and I never realized they would accept me, so that is a real thrill," Rabaduex said. "I like the atmosphere here. Everyone makes you feel at home, like you are just part of this place since day one. It was an amazing opportunity for me to experience, not just my culture, but Alaska Native culture in general. I encourage anyone who has Native American background should come check out the Sequoyah National Research Center. You never know what you might find." For more information about the Sequoyah National Research Center, contact Erin Fehr at ehfehr@ualr.edu or 501-569-8336.

Tori Watson, a graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts in professional and technical writing at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, is the 2018 recipient of the James W. Parins Intern Scholarship at the Sequoyah National Research Center. The Parins scholarship was established in 2017 as a way to honor the legacy of SNRC's co-founder Dr. James W. Parins. The scholarship is awarded to a student who demonstrates a knowledge of Native American cultures and is in good standing with the university.

For those who have seen Tony Stark effortlessly controlling virtual computer screens in the "Iron Man" and "Avengers" movies, you have seen Zack Bolt's vision for the potential of his research. Bolt, a graduate student in computer science at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has developed a virtual computer monitor system that he hopes can eventually replace its physical counterparts.

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock doctoral student and professor are investigating how professors are preparing business students for their future careers by assessing their implementation of social media in the classroom. Kayla Sapkota, of Cabot, is pursuing a Doctorate in Education in Higher Education with a concentration in Faculty Leadership. She became interested in exploring the use of social media in the business curriculum during a course, College Teaching Problems and Issues, taught by her dissertation advisor, Dr. Jim Vander Putten, associate professor of higher education. Their paper, "Social media acceptance and usage by business communication faculty," was recently published in the "Business and Professional Communication Quarterly."

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock student is spending the summer gaining valuable professional experience by interning at the Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas in Pine Bluff. Catherine McGibbony, who will graduate in December with a Master of Art degree with a concentration in art history, is spending days handling fine art, caring for the art collections, researching, event planning, and organizing an exhibit.

Brandon Brady, who is pursuing a master's degree in sport management at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, can't imagine a better future than to help young student-athletes pursue their dreams. Brady completed his last year as a member of the Trojan men's basketball team in 2018 and plans to make a career of helping high school and college student-athletes, the same way his father and coaches did for him.

Student researchers from the Emerging Analytics Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock helped create a virtual reality experience made in honor of Martyl Langsdorf, the Chicago artist who designed the Doomsday Clock, that is on display at the Weinberg/Newton Gallery in Chicago May 11-19.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock announces its research and creative works showcase participants.

UA Little Rock students Elizabeth Haralson, a graduate student studying environmental geology from Wynne, and Callie Pace, a senior geology major from Mountain Home, led a Geology Camp for nine Arkansas students at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Members of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Phi Beta Lambda chapter took home several of the top awards during the annual state leadership conference April 6-7.

The winners of the 2018 Student Research and Creative Works Showcase at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock were announced during an awards ceremony May 1 in the Student Services Center.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Department of Nursing honored this year's top students during an awards ceremony on May 4.

Little Rock soccer senior Fali Garuba was awarded the second annual Kevin A. Crass Heart of a Trojan award at the Trojans' Senior Honors Luncheon on Tuesday, May 1.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences recognized its top students and scholarship recipients during the college's awards ceremony on May 1.

The George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock honored nearly 100 awards winners during the college's annual awards ceremony on April 27.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Department of Applied Communication honored its top students during the department's annual awards ceremony on April 19.

The UA Little Rock School of Mass Communication recognized its top students during the 18th annual awards ceremony on April 12.

Three students enrolled in the Master of Business Administration program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock won first place and a $4,000 prize in the Business Case Competition held April 13-14 at the University of West Florida.

Two University of Arkansas at Little Rock students have been awarded grants from the Middle Eastern Studies Program to study Arabic abroad this summer.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock congratulates more than 700 students who received their academic degrees on Dec. 16, 2017.

Staff members of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's newspaper The Forum took home nine awards from the Arkansas College Media Association's annual conference April 6 at Henderson State University.

A team of students from Dr. Vess Johnson's Information Systems Development Project course developed a customized inventory management system for Splashwear Aquatics during the fall 2017 term. The course is the capstone for business information systems majors.

Two University of Arkansas at Little Rock students took home a big win as first place winners of CrimsonHacks, a Major League Hacking event held April 14-15 at the University of Alabama.

Two University of Arkansas at Little Rock students received the Distinguished Delegation Award for their representation of Jordan at the National Model Arab League Conference April 4-9 at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

A group of 20 students from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to attend the National Model Arab League Conference April 4-9 at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Mathematics and Statistics Department recently announced the individual winners of its Calculus Bowl.

Nora Bouzihay, a doctoral student of education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, was the first female in her family to graduate from high school, attend college, obtain a bachelor's degree, master's degree, and pursue a doctorate degree.

Corrigan Revels, a University of Arkansas at Little Rock alumnus, will be recognized as one of 11 Arkansas Community Service Award honorees on Friday, April 20, for his dedication and commitment to students participating in UA Little Rock's Children International program.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Department of Mathematic and Statistics had 45 UA Little Rock students to participate in its Calculus Bowl on April 6.

John Siratt, a graduate student studying mathematics at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, was recently named as a recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.